Improvement in breech-loading fire-arms



W. H. M ER. BREEGH LOADI f IREARM.

Y No. 59,123." vPmmwd`Nov.13, 1866.

INVENTOR Wfm - WITNESSES.

@ WM/ l M@ 5% www W 'In that position.

PATENT OFFICE.

WM.,1i.M'ILLnn,oF WEST MnniDEMcoNNEcTIcUT, Assienon To Mnninnn MANUFACTURING COMPANY.

IMPROVEMENT IN BRsEcH-LQADING FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 59,723, dated November 13, 1866.

To all whoml t may concern.-

Be it known that I, W. H. MILLER, of West i criden, in the. county of New Haven and S yate of Connecticut, have invented anew Improvement in Breech-Loadin g Fire-Arms; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and tlie letters of reference marked there-v on, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the saine, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in

Figure 1, a side View; Fig. 2,V a sectional side view, the several parts in a home position as for discharge; Fig. 3, a central section, the parts in position vfor charging; and in Fig. 4, a top view. My invention relates more particularly to an improvement in double-barrel shot-guns, yet it is applicable to other arms and other pur. poses, and.v is designed for the use of the Maynard cartridge, which has the rear centrally pierced; and consists in the peculiar manner of opening and closing the breech, and

locking the same when closed.

Toenable others to construct and use my improvement, I will proceedl to describe the e saineas illustrated inthe accompanying drawings.

MA is the barrel, represented asdouble, (see Fig. 4;) B, the stockpC, the lock; D, the trig-v ger-guard, and E E the triggers, of the usual form and construction; G, the breech-piece, which is formed upon a tail-plate, H, and into which` the-tubes-,I are set, communicating directly'with the barrel, as denoted. by broken 1 lines, Fig. 1. -V The said breech-piece G extends forward,forming aframe vfor the support of -the barrel, (seef Figs. 2 and 3,) and to which v the barrel' is hinged, as at K, so asto be'raisedfrom the position `in Fig. 2 to that in Fig.' 3, or returned..

AL is 'a latch formed upon a lever, M, pivoted to the tail-piece H at a, and'fcrmed to entera recess'in the -top of the barrel, as denoted by broken-lines, Fig. 4, when the barrel is in its home position, and so as to secure it The said latch is returned by' the reaction of a spring, c, and in order to make. the security ofthe latch L more certain projections d are formed upon the sides of the lever M, which, when the lever M descends,

fall into notches f in the breech-piece G, as seen in Figs. 3 and 4, which said projections d relieve the pivot a from the strain of discharge which would otherwise be brought upon it, and makes the security doubly sure.

In addition to the security of the latch L, I form a projection, I L, upon the under side of the barrels, (see Fig. 3,) which, as the barrels descend, falls into a corresponding notch, l,on the frame J. C

P, Fi g. 3,isa bolt passing through the breech` piece G, so as to enter a hole in the rear of the barrel, asdenoted in broken lines, Fig. 2, when the barrel is at rest, as in the position in said Fig. 2, which prevents the barrel from being accidentally opened.

Tooperate the bolt l and the lever M to re lease the barrel-that is, to move thenifroin the" position denoted inFig. 2 to that denoted in Fig. -I place centrally in therear of the barrels a sliding har, R, extending upto the undersideof the'lever Maud down through the triggerguard plate to receiveaiinger-plate, S. The upper end of the bar Ris forked, so that one leg passes up either `side of theattened portion of the bolt P, and the rear side' of the said forked portion is inclined, so that a head, r, on the said bolt will rest upon the incline of the two legs of the fork, so that the movement ot' thebar R upward from the position in. Fig. 2 to that in Fig. 3 will withdraw the bolt, as denoted in saidfignres, and when the said liar has returned alplate, l, attached to the bar R, and

correspondingly inclined, bears against the' head fr of the bolt and returns tlie"bo1 t, asde' noted in Fig.' '2. The .u-pward movement of the bar`R at the saine time raises thelever M, as denoted in Fig. 3, and thus raised the rear endof the barrel rises from the position in Fig.

2 tothat in Fig. 3, in which position the cartridge isinserted in the usual manner.

In order` to retain the bolt P and the lever M in the position seen in Fig. 3 until the bar rel is again returned, a lever, N, (see Fig. 2, and denoted in red, Fig. 3,) is hung to the frame at m, which, when the barrel is raised, is forced by a spring, t, from the position seen in Fig. 2 to that in Fig. 3, the shorter arm extending out, so as to catch under a pin, s, on the bar It, as seen in Fig. 3. This retains the bar It in its upward position,.and consequently the o sortes 'bolt P and lever M; but when the barrel is .again returned, as in Fig.V 2, it strikes the longer arm of the lever N, forcing it down, as in Fig. 2, and, releasing the bar R, the lever M and bolt P return by the action of the spring c, and securely lock the barrel in its heine position.

To start the discharged shell from the han rel, I 'place a slide, T, beneath the barrel, its rear end extending up so as to come in front of the flange oi' the cartridge, as seen in Fig. 3. The said slide extends forward to a pin,

u, on the frame J, near the bearing K, so that,

' as -the barrel rises from the position in Fig.l 2

to that in Fig. 3, the slide T strikes the pin u v and starts the shell from the' barrel, as denoted in Fig. 3.- Returning the barrel to the position in 2 the slide strikes the breech-l That part of the stock U forward ot theV joint K, l tix to the barrel, and forni the joint between the two parts oi' the stock, so that the space between the two necessary to perinit the movement of the barrel will be closed when the barrel is in its house positioinas seen in Fig. 2.

l have thus far described 1y arm as for two barrels 5 yet the saine arrangement may be` equally Well .adapted to a siugie barrel, as those skilled in the art will readiiy understand.

l have also described my arm as specially adapted to the use of the Maynard or other si-niilar central-tire cartridge; yet the common fulminate-cartridge may be used, it only being required that the hammers so communicate with the cartridge that the blow of the hammer will explode the fulminate.

If occasion requires that the arm should be used as a muzzle-loader it is only necessary that a cartridge-shell should remain in the barrel, so as to prevent the escape of gas at the joint between the' rear of the barrel and the breech-piece.

I am aware that a latch upon the upper side of the frame has often been used to lock the barrel in its home position. l do not, .therefore, broadly claim a latch so constructed; but,

Having thus fully described my invention, what I do claim as new and useful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The lever M, constructed and arranged with the projections d, in combination with a corresponding recess, f, and the latch L, so as to operate substantially in the manner herein set forth.

The vertical bar R, in combination with the boit P and the lever M, constructed and arranged to operate substantially in the inanner and for the purpose herein set forth.

3. rEhe combination and arrangement described of the lever N with the bar R and the barrel of the arn1,substantially as and for the purpose described.

GEORGE A. FAY, ALFRED P. CURTISS. 

